Lessons Of A Different Sort
by CPficWriter
Summary: A vampire story about a strict vamp named Braeden and his mischievous 11 year-old fledgling. Kieran was a streetrat for her whole life but that all changes when she picks the pocket of a vampire & is turned into one herself WILL CONTAIN NONSEXUAL SPANKING
1. Beginnings

This first chapter is mainly an intro and crash course in my vampire universe, so don't give up on it until you've at least read chapter 2.

This is going to be a fan fiction about vampires, no particular series just vampires in general. This idea popped into my head when I was reading another vampire series where fledglings or vampire children were punished extremely harshly like whipped/flogged beaten type thing. I suppose vampires can handle more pain than humans but they are also stronger and can dish out more pain as well, this coupled with the fact that the sire/fledgling relationship is pretty much the equivalent of the parent/child relationship in humans led me to think of this.

For character info, Kieran's a rather rebellious little street girl. She challenges all authority, is easy to anger, and bends the rules to her liking. After going on her own whim for so long, living under the thumb of a vampire infinitely more powerful is certainly going to be difficult and probably...painful. Braeden is fairly young for a vampire (only a couple hundred years) and looks to be in his late thirties. He's rather strict and isn't going to take any grief from this new youngling in his house.

I hope you enjoy it but before you start reading I just want us to be clear on a few things. First the adult vampire that is going to be dealing out spanking is not I repeat NOT going to be a pedophile, so any of you with any kinky vamp sex spanking crap can leave…..No, I mean it. I will have no tolerance of anyone flaming me or asking me when they're going to hook up because of the misconception. They won't, I promise you, it's strictly father/daughter type stuff.

Second don't hold your breath for any clear ending or for Kieran to get old or anything. In all likelihood I'll probably keep writing about her and Braeden the way they are, it takes decades for a vampire to show any age difference anyway. It's just a collection of scenes from a mental movie that I have about these two characters. I thought of a good pair and I just keep thinking of funny and serious situations to put them in. All the ways Kieran can manage to get in trouble with her master and the cute moments too. There's no clear plot definition so there probably won't be an absolute end. It's a bit like Sherlock Holmes, always a new case.

And third I am very well aware that everyone has different ideas about vampire civilization, culture, powers, weaknesses etc. Ok, ahem, In this story….

In order to be turned into a vampire you not only have to be fed from by a vampire but then you have to also ingest some of their blood as well. If you only got bitten and they didn't suck you dry (in which case you'd be dead) you'll wake up the next day lightheaded and nauseous but still 100% human.

Fledglings pretty much exclusively feed off their masters until they graduate/become adult vampires etc. This sort of ties into the swapping blood at the turning. I figure fledglings have to slowly change into adults/full vamps and that blood helps along the process. The adult vamps DNA having turned them in the first place, it makes since that their blood would have to continue the change while the fledglings body slowly becomes accustom to the vampire DNA.

After the initial blood transfer the vampire and their fledgling/childe are blood related, due to the vampire DNA dominating the human, which is what causes the change.

Fledglings _can_ drink blood other than their master's but it won't be nearly as effective or filling, and if withheld from their sire's blood for too long the fledgling will die.

Vampire fledglings don't normally drink directly from their sire's body. Instead, before meal times blood is draw before being poured into a glass.

Most vampires prefer to drink Bloodwine which is a mixture of differing types of wine and blood (whatever mixture they like). This is a good way to keep the blood fresh for long periods of time. However, some vampires will only drink straight from humans. It's all preference.

Vampire can, do and must eat actual food besides blood to nourish themselves, blood just happens to be the most important but it is in no way the end all be all of the food pyramid for vampires.

Most vampires live in hidden or remote lairs, Cities that have large vampire populations are generally turned into Council headquarters for that region. Also, in large, vampire populated areas, most vampires don't feel the need to hide and can live in normal, admittedly extravagant houses.

Vampires are generally very proper and old fashioned because nearly all of them are at least over 100 years old.

Vampires can live for as long as no one kills them, there are almost no diseases that affect them and they won't die of old age

Garlic doesn't hurt them, silver burns, spraying them with holy water does nothing.

Also they are very fast healers, although any damage done with a silver weapon will take much longer to heal.

UV rays burn their skin on contact, they won't disintegrate immediately but it will slowly roast them alive, and after a few minutes they'll be a pile of ash.

A way to kill them without direct UV light is to cut out their heart with a silver weapon of some kind. But you must destroy either the heart or the body, if both remain whole and they are ever reunited the vampire will come back.

Extremely powerful vampires can go into a self sustaining coma, (which can last several decades) when they have been deprived of blood for too long and will revert back to their normal state once they sense blood, but they will be in a feeding frenzy until they have fed.

Vampires can use magic although it takes decades of practice and discipline to learn more than the basic skills.

They can shapeshift but this is very advanced and not widely known magic. Also doing magic before you are ready can result in horrible outcomes based on how badly you botch the spell. Screwing up when doing magic is very easy because all the spells are in the 'ancient language'.

Also Vampires are much stronger, faster, and have more acute senses than humans.

Ok now that that stuff is out of the way we can actually get into character details and the story the story.

* * *

Kieran is a homeless girl, picking pockets for a living. She was pretty good at it and one night she spotted a wealthy looking man wandering alone down an alley. Unable to pass up the opportunity she tried to pick his pocket, her hand slipping flawlessly into his professionally tailored coat.

To her surprise, he noticed, spinning around at an almost impossible speed to confront the thief.

The well dressed stranger grabbed her by the throat with his left hand, slamming her against the wall. Her feet dangled a good twelve inches above the rubbish covered ground. She tried desperately to get free, scratching at his hands with wild abandon as a trapped animal might. His canines seemed to lengthen as he scowled, not happy to be disturbed this early in the evening.

Without a second thought he pinned her obstructing left hand to the wall, clearing his path as he clamped down on the vagabond's throat. She screamed, struggling even harder, her neck on fire. The vampire began sucking out her lifes-blood, her resistance decreasing as the vitality slipped from her body; her skin beginning to pale from lack of blood.

He dropped her once he was finished and looked down in surprise on her crumpled form, noticing that she was still conscious and glaring at him as best she could manage. For a moment she thought she saw a look of recognition in his gaze but she chalked it up to delirium, her vision beginning to go black around the edges. The mysterious vampire kneeled, pulling out a knife, and for a moment Kieran thought he was going to finish her off but then suddenly it came away from her, towards the man's own neck where he used it to knick his jugular vein.

As the blood began to flow freely, he put the weapon away and picked up the 11 year old as one would a toddler, her head lolling on his shoulder, directly adjacent to the gushing wound. The poor girl weekly tried to pull away from the blood flow but a strong hand held her head there. "_Shhhhhh._" The sound was sinister but somehow also soothing, her eyes fought hard to stay open.

Blood was gushing from the self inflicted wound and she couldn't breathe without inhaling it. The orphan began taking in big gulps in an attempt to get some air, the entire time taking in his blood as well. The vampire patted her on the back, trying to keep her from choking.

He carried her in this way back to his estate, an old manor-size house that looked like it belonged in 19th century Transylvania. Kieran had passed out long before they arrived, looking for all the world like a child sleeping on her father's shoulder after an exhausting day of play.

Once they got inside he took her up to one of the spare bedrooms and paused briefly to remove her shoes and the knives she'd been carrying before placing her gently on the bed. The man watched her sleep for a moment, noticing how innocent she looked despite the blood caked around her mouth.

He waved his hand casually and the blood covering himself and the girl mystically disappeared. And with that he walked out, going to prepare the house for her early arrival. He did so hate doing things unplanned, but it was his own fault he supposed, not looking before he bit. Well this wasn't exactly how he'd wanted it, but he'd have to deal with it, she was already here and turned now. The vampire sighed, he just hoped children weren't quite as annoying as he remembered them being.


	2. Meeting the Master

Ok I've edited the first chapter, so horrible typos and such have been fixed, sorry. ^^' And yes Katrina I did read your RP on aotk it was one of the many things that inspired this, along with some fanfictions on here and the Cirque Du Freak book series and Anne Rice's books of course.

Also, just so you know, first spankies in this chappie ^^

A few hours later Kieran woke up in her new bedroom, confused, scared, but most of all, angry, wondering where she was and what had happened to her.

She ran out of her room after trashing it in an unsuccessful attempt to locate her missing weapons. Well in truth they were just a switchblade and a couple other ragged items she'd managed to either piece together or steal, but they were her lifeline they protected her on the street and she needed them and she needed to get out of this place.

Tearing through the giant house she looked desperately but soon, while occupied throwing musty clothes around some old bedroom, a spine chilling voice addressed her from the doorway.

"_What_ exactly are you doing?" It asked, she turned, her face momentarily betraying her fear but she quickly covered it with the stronger, more potent anger. "Who the fuck are _you_?" She asked her violet hair bristling with rage. He himself had been sporting a smirk until this comment at which point he frowned, features darkening. "My name is Braeden. I am your sire, and I would ask that you not foul my home with profanity."

The little orphan growled, her fists balled up in ire. "You're not my _anything_ ok?" She said, tensed, ready to attack if he made any false moves, weapons or no. He laughed, "Calm yourself child, I am not here to harm you, I am here to teach you." Kieran backed off a bit, confused and a little suspicious. "Teach me what?" She asked, her voice losing some of its earlier venom.

He chuckled again, fangs gleaming. "Well how to be a vampire of course." Her eyes widen in disbelieving shock. "That's _**impossible**_." She said, becoming a bit more sure of herself. He seemed to float towards her for a moment; she backed up a few steps, defenses still on high alert. "Actually it is very possible; I turned you just last night. You are among the undead now." Kieran was petrified at his words but an instant later she remembered how to use her legs and had run past him, searching frantically for a way out of this madhouse. Braeden turned, walking slowly after her, knowing she had nowhere to go.

That guy had no right to keep her here. Kieran told herself as she ran around, looking for the front door. And she couldn't be a vampire, they didn't exist! The more she repeated this mantra the less convinced she became. She ran and ran until she came to a pair of giant double doors made of dark, black wood, a nice contrast to the rich cherry brown of the rest of the house. The knobs of it were ornate, made of some kind of pewter looking metal and it was located in a large, open anteroom; this could only be the front door.

Kieran struggled a bit with opening the door, its thick wood and large form making it difficult for a child of her size. Her captor appeared just as she got the left door open, revealing a vast country side with no other houses in sight, the city barley visible on the poorly lit dusk horizon; she gasped.

"Yes, my home _is_ quite secluded." He responded evenly. She spun around, scowling angrily, her fists held out in front of her offensively. "What do you want with me, you have no right to keep me here!" She yelled, confronting the strange man. "Ahh but I do." He explained,voice taking on an informative quality. " When a vampire bloods someone, there is an exchange of DNA. My life's blood now runs through your veins. You are my childe, and I am as much your sire as your birth father was." Her brows knitted, mood dropping even further. "Good, 'cause he was a bastard too!" She shouted, turning towards the door as if meaning to stomp out of it.

Her master didn't make a sound as he floated over to her, grabbing the back of her collar to keep her from walking away. "I was hoping that your first lesson wouldn't have to be in respect, but continue to act in this manner and I may have to reconsider." She pulled, still trying to walk out the door. "Lemmie Go! Let. Me. Go!"

He relinquished her collar but almost immediately the girl's hands went up to her mouth, face scrunched in obvious pain. Braeden kneeled, turning her around to face him, the harsh lines of his face suddenly softening, conflict momentarily forgotten.

Kieran was in no position to resist, pain coursing through her gums. A small whimper escaped her throat as the older vampire swatted her hands away. "Let me see." His tone left no room for negotiation. She opened her mouth hesitantly, showing her newly grown fangs. He touched them lightly, Kieran immediately tried to pull away but her chin was held fast in his grip. "You're first fangs are growing in nicely. The permanent ones should form when you become and adult." The pain receded slightly and she pulled away from him, using one finger to poke the tip of one of her new teeth, wincing at the tenderness.

"They shouldn't hurt for too much longer, the next few days as they grow in, I'd wager." She turned swiftly back towards the door, a little less sure of herself, but still wanting to get out of there. "Without me you will die." The warning swirled around in the air, leaping over her shoulder.

The implication that she needed anyone's help, much less this kidnapping psycho was unbearable. She wanted to stomp out just to prove him wrong. "Be it by daylight, the thirst, or at the hands of some would-be vampire slayer, you will die." He continued, and she could tell his tone wasn't smug or accusing but sincere and that made her even angrier. Kieran turned, glaring at him. "Well it's all your fault!" She slumped against the, side of the double doors that had remained closed, pressing her forehead against its cool, smooth, wood. "Why me?" The poor girl sounded miserable.

"You were chosen _long_ before last night." He said cryptically. "What do you mean?" She snapped, glaring at him again. He sighed, slipping into his teaching voice once more."When an adult vampire is ready to take on a fledgling they go on a journey, going wherever them whim strikes them. My journey brought me here and destined me to pass by the very orphanage in which you yourself had been dwelling. During your crude breakout attempt-" Kieran's face contorted. "Hey it worked!" He held up a hand, silencing her.

She clenched her fists tightly, the knuckles turning white, insulted and angered by his dismissal. "I knew when you bolted past me, I could _feel_ it." His face darkened before he continued. "It is, however, customary that a human not be turned until they reach what modern humans call 'legal adult age'." Braeden turned his nose up at this, obviously disagreeing. "I personally believe 18 is an unfit age to be considered 'adult', had I been able to make a choice I would have waited until you were at least 25." He looked over her grubby clothes and scornful expression, "A more proper teaching age, especially compared to this loud, crude form."

That was it, she couldn't take it anymore, she'd never put up with shit from other kids at the shelter _**or**_ on the street and she sure as hell wasn't about to take it from this….this…_**bastard**_! "Fuck you! I didn't ask for any of this shit ok?" This wasn't my decision and- Oww!" She was cut off suddenly as he appeared next to her, taking her ear in a powerful hold, squeezing and pulling upward, causing her extreme discomfort.

Braeden sighed, sounding rather strained. "I didn't want to resort to this, but you really have forced my hand." He drifted through a few doors, into a large parlor, dragging the struggling form behind him by the ear. "Ahh!" She winced, but stopped her resistance, it only made her poor ear hurt even more.

He seated himself upon a leather wingback chair that was situated in front of the fireplace, using his leverage on her ear to pull her over his knees. "No, let me go!" She screamed, trying to get back up. Her sire placed a firm hand on her lower back, effectively keeping her in place, stretching his right, free arm up, drawing back the sleeve.

Then the centuries old vampire brought his hand down on her bottom with enough force to make solid, smacking contact as if it were a paddle; the street rat let out a cry of distress. 'Wh-what are you doing?" She asked wildly, flinging her hands back for protection, even at the orphanage they'd never hit her, not on the backside at least. Out of all the confrontations she'd been in in her life she was not prepared for this.

The older vampire calmly pinned the hindrances to her back, continuing with his work. "It is my duty to ensure your healthy growth and education in the historical, modern and social practices of the vampire race." He commented, all the while bringing his hand down on her backside. "It is also my job to ensure you become an actual functioning member of that society; an impossibility, I assure you, if you continue to act like a brat." He kept at the whacking, the girl obviously feeling its effects, her incessant wiggling and whining starting to become increasingly uncontrolled.

After a while he grabbed a hold of the waistband of her baggy pants and gave it the moderate tug it needed to fall unheeded down to her knees. "Noooo!" Kieran bucked extra hard, her efforts not getting her anything but a more annoyed master. "Stop this at once!" He commanded, landing a few of the hardest blows yet to her tender thighs. The poor girl immediately stopped, a whimper escaping her throat, sobs increasing tenfold. She didn't know how to defend against this, it was ludicrous, like a bad dream.

Another minute or so and the 11 year olds protests ceased, speech becoming unintelligible through her tearful mumbling. Satisfied, Braeden covered her butt in well-placed finishing smacks, ending the spanking and gently pulling up her gray cargos, concealing the red flesh that peeked out from behind black underwear.

Braeden picked up the childe, standing her in front of himself. Kieran did her best to glare at him through her puffy, watery eyes, the result turning out; much to his amusement, like a cute pout.

He stood, towering over her as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Now." He took her chin, tilting her head back; she frowned at this but kept her mouth shut. "Are you ready to be a good little fledgling and express your displeasure with _respect _or do you want to go back over my knee?" She didn't reply, he assumed this meant she agreed with him. "Come," He crooked his finger, voice softening. "It is time for lunch." He paused, casting a weary look back at her sulking form. "Please be conscious of your language from now on, next time I will not be so lenient." She reluctantly followed, hands shoved irately into her pockets; she didn't like this guy.

He guided her to the dining room whose table was large and made of ornately carved and highly polished dark red wood. "Lunch is served." Announced a short, white haired old man as he walked out of what seemed to be the kitchen, a bottle of what seemed like red wine in hand. "We're going to be needing the bag of my own blood as well, Almar." He stepped aside, revealing his young charge. The old butler was clearly human and his wrinkled face showed his surprise at her age but soon he had recovered, looking happy once again. "You must be the new young master. I am delighted to meet you at last!" He shook the shell-shocked girl's hand before turning back to the older vampire. "I'll get it right away." Almar ambled out of the room, presumably to go get the nonalcoholic, freshly drawn blood.

_**Blood **_he actually expected her to drink blood and _his_ blood at that! Certainly not, if he did he was crazy. The kindly servant walked back in, placing a bucket filled with ice on the table, looking as if it contained a blood filled IV bag. "Please, have a seat." The butler bowed toward the table, her master thanked him before moving to sit at one of the far ends.

She hesitated, her bottom still uncomfortably sore but then made her way to the chair farthest away from her sire at the opposite end of the table. His slight grin fell a bit at her chosen isolation but it picked up once Almar brought out with the trays of food.

Kieran ate her food subduedly, making a point not to touch the blood that had been poured for her. When she was done she immediately got up, fully intending to retreat back to her 'room' to beat up her pillow and rant. Her path, however, was blocked when Braeden suddenly appeared in front of her. "It is _very_ impolite to leave the table without asking to be excused." It sounded like a warning.

Kieran glowered, but nonetheless heeded this, lowering her head. "Can I please be excused?" Her teeth were gritted and she clenched her fists, doing her best to control herself. Her sire decided to spare her a little slack and nodded. "Very well, you may go." He stepped aside, inwardly sighing; this was going to be tough, for the both of them.

Whew! Not all of these are going to be THAT long, some are just going to be little musings but this's got a lot of character development in it so, hope you enjoyed. Also tomorrow or perhaps the next day I'll probably actually read over this and fix any horrible typos so don't worry about those either.


	3. Misshelved Magic

As is becoming my habit, whenever I post a new chapter I go back and edit the old one so chappie 2 is newly refurbished but not much mostly I just fixed typos and added a bit more detail to a couple vague sentences. Hope you like this! Oh also, in this one there is a couple swats ^^

Kieran fled to her room, burying her head in the pillow on her admittedly nice bed. She pouted, growling insulting things about her captor and his mother and giving her abused pillow the occasional punch. This continued for nearly an hour, the girl working herself up until Braeden himself walked in, interrupting her tirade.

"Are you _quite _through with you're childish moping?" Braeden questioned, leaning on her doorframe. His childe didn't answer but sat up on the bed rather quickly, fists clenched, looking ready to spout some of her practiced remarks. Fortunately for the young vampire, her bottom made contact with the bed as she sat up, the sore throb radiating there more than enough to quell her temper; for the moment, at least.

Braeden noticed the sudden change in demeanor, inwardly smirking. Maybe this wouldn't be as hard as he'd first thought. "Good. Come with me." He beckoned before turning and walking down the hall. Some of her ire flared back up as she was quickly tiring of being commanded like a dog. For a moment she considered slamming the door but she considered the likely consequences and in the end reluctantly followed.

Once catching up to him Kieran was in an even fouler mood, knowing that she'd let him win the first round. The older vampire sensed this and began to spell out their plans before she said something they'd both regret.

"You'll have full access to my private library, but any books above the first floor are too advanced at your current level of power and are _off limits_, understand?" This intrigued Kieran but she hid it, planning to read any and everything she could get her little paws on. I mean if vampires were real what else was possible?

With thoughts of werewolves and dragons filling her head they stepped into and ENORMOUS library and the fact that she was brought here against her will completely slipped from her thoughts for a few blissful seconds.

Braeden's private library was a large circular tower, every wall a built in bookcase. The many floors above the first all had holes in the middle allowing you to look up though them and the cone shaped glass roof to the beautiful night sky beyond.

She stared in awe at all the books for a few seconds before Braeden's chuckling broke her out of the trance. "You will be allowed two hours to study. During this time I expect you to pick out at least three books related to the change and its effects." He waved her off into the room before letting himself out.

"I still don't like this." She called to him defiantly. A ghost of a smile graced his lips, "Ah, that will come in time." And with that the doors snapped shut.

Kieran frowned at the doors for a moment before cautiously heading over to the nearest shelf. If she was stuck here she might as well make the most of it, right? She'd never been much of a reader but then there had never been much to read. She still remembered some old, dogeared books she'd knicked from the school back when she used to go. Sometimes she regreted not bring them with her when she'd 'escaped'. These morose thoughts in mind, the girl scanned some nearby titles before picking up an interesting looking tome that read Creatures of the Night in elegant, embossed silver lettering…

Before long the table in the middle of the floor was leaning awkwardly under the weight of many books and Kieran had taken a seat in a cushioned chair nearby, curled up with her nose in a book entitled _Magic Casting_, reading up on a bit of 'beginners' magic that was really suppose to allow you to levitate things.

After reading through the section very carefully, three times the fledgling stood up and prepared to do some levitating, thinking only of how cool it would be to fly around the big, spacious tower. She held her hands mystically about herself and opened her mouth to recite the words of the incantation. "What, pray tell, are you doing?" The poor girl jumped ten feet in the air, his sudden appearance startling her.

She looked away blushing, now aware that she must look like a complete nutter. "If you must know I was trying to do this spell so I can fly." He waved his hand and the piece of literature floated over lying itself gently in his hand, allowing him to examine it.

After a few moments he leveled her with an intense gaze. "This," he held up the open book in one hand. "is a third floor book." His eyes were stormy and even though she'd done nothing wrong she was still getting a bit nervous.

"Well I got it from down here." His gaze was unwavering, staring blankly into her eyes. Unbeknownst to her he was testing their mental bond to see if she was lying; she was not. A few tense seconds later he smiled, graveness dissipating. "Must have been misshelved." He said cheerfully, and with one wave of his hand the book began floating up through the hollow center of the room, presumably to the third floor.

The rest of the night consisted of similar learning exercises, Dinner passing much the same as Lunch. Once again Kieran didn't drink any blood and once again Braeden allowed her to get away with it.

As the meal concluded he sent her off to bed, she grumbled but obeyed, going back to her room and taking a bath before slipping into a comfortable pair of black silk PJs she'd rummaged from her dresser, noticing that amazingly enough they weren't too big.

Her mind went to Braeden as she proceeded to the bathroom; she growled, closing the drawer harder than was necessary. It had taken all of her limited self control not to explode on him for a second time, her aching posterior the only thing holding her back.

If his commands weren't enough, everything in his stupid house was too big and seemed to be made so just to annoy her; it made her feel so short and helpless. She scowled again, opening the bathroom door, as if she didn't feel like that enough already.

She walked past the giant tub to get to the sink, her head only just taller than the counter. There were a couple shelves on the wall above the sink, a cup with a toothbrush in it sitting near the edge of the sink. The counter was as long and wide as a twin sized bed and Kieran could only just reach the faucet to turn on the sink.

Once she finished brushing her teeth she looked around for a hairbrush, finding in dismay that it was on the shelf on the wall, completely unreachable. Kieran seethed, almost at her wits end when suddenly she remembered reading about the levitation spell earlier; she smirked, deciding to use it to reach the brush.

She couldn't get over her own genius, if she did this right she'd never have to ask for that bastards help, plus she could do a bit of flying before bed, he'd never know. Liking the idea more and more she took a determined stance and shouted the incantation.

As soon as the words left her lips it seemed as if gravity reversed itself, she was yanked from the floor and before she knew it her whole body smacked into the ceiling. She tried to pry her cheek from the ceiling but with no success, she could barely move. The little girl growled and began to panic, struggling furiously against the spells force, which seemed to be intent on pulling her through the roof of the house.

Braeden, who was reading in his study was could feel the girl's extreme distress, he wondered exasperatedly what could be wrong now. Reluctantly he abandoned the warm fire, phasing through the walls on the way to Kieran's room.

Upon reaching his destination he noticed the sounds coming from the bathroom. Curiously the elder vampire peeked his head in, not seeing her at first. "Get me down." She yelled at him, fighting futilely against the spell. Braeden's look of surprise quickly turned to one of smugness, "How did you get up there?" He asked knowingly. She looked a bit unsure about telling him but did anyway, knowing it was the only way she'd get down.

"Well, flying sounded cool so…" She began to get impatient. "UGHH, I needed the brush anyway, can you just get me down!" He smirked but relented, shouting something that sounded like Latin; immediately the invisible force let her go and she began to fall.

Braeden was inclined to let her fall into a heap on the floor as a reminder but thought this would be too cruel, especially from ten feet in the air, and so slowly lowered her with his own levitation spell. Once she was about three feet off the ground he withdrew his powers, allowing her to fall the rest of the distance onto her rump; he _was_ a vampire after all, he was allowed to be a little cruel.

"Oww!" The girl jumped of the floor, doing her best to rub out the sting as she glared at him. "Asshole." She muttered. Unfortunately for her, vampires, especially fully realized ones have excellent hearing. "Excuse me." The air in the room suddenly became very thick. "I do believe I warned you about cursing _AND_ doing magic. You're very lucky you weren't outside when you tried that, had you been you would most likely be in orbit right now." He snatched the unruly fledgling up and put her under his arm as he walked back into the bedroom, landing rather painful swats the whole way.

"Nnn!" She grunted, her face contorted into a pained expression. Instead of glaring or protesting she owwed at every slap, looking exhausted from everything that had happened. He master lightened up at this, placing the poor girl on her bed, mentally calling Almar to bring him a glass of the blood he'd drawn from earlier. Kieran sat sniffling with her head down when Almar came in. The human handed his employer the glass he requested, shooting the girl a comforting smile before he left.

Braeden accepted the glass, thanking the man as he left. He walked over to the bed, holding the cup out as an offering but Kieran merely shook her head sadly in refusal. The powerful night dweller sighed in exasperation. "Either you drink it yourself, or you get to learn force-feeding firsthand. Your body cannot sustain itself without my blood." He once again held out the glass, nodding encouragingly when she took it.

She held it hesitantly to her lips. At first she tried to convince herself it was disgusting but it was actually pretty tasty, and the more she drank the less painful her bottom became. After drinking half slowly she downed the rest, handing him the empty cup. He ruffled her hair, taking the object from her; she looked up innocently. "Good. Now, to bed with you, it's almost dawn." He waited until she turned over and crawled under the blankets before heading towards the door.

Her master turned back once her reached the door to bid her good night but immediately noticed that she had already fallen asleep. He smiled and turned out the lights; they might just survive this.

Hope you liked ^^ I thought this was really cute. Sorry it took so long to update but I'm not a very good typist and when I look at the story and appraise where the next chapter is going to end I think 'oh man that's going to be allot of typing'….Ummm, I'll do it next weekend. But I'm glad I decided to post this, it gets better when I take it from my notebook and type it. I fix all the unclear stuff and make it even better. Plus, I get to share it with you guys ^^ hope you like it too!


	4. Lines of Fate

Sorry it's taken so long, with the fall comes a new term, and loads of work. Also, that's in combination with my natural laziness XD. I promise I'll try to keep it going, even if there are giant intermission periods.

"Ahem." Braeden cleared his throat. "Huh?" Kieran's head snapped up from her paper, revealing a collection of cartoonist doodles. "Huh, is _not _an appropriate way of answering me," He frowned, noticing her glazed, disinterested stare. " and if this daydreaming continues you will find yourself in a very unsavory position, understand?" She straightened up a bit more. "Yes, Braeden." The girl sighed reluctantly.

"Good. Now as I was saying, Fate lines appear when a fated fledgling, one that has been predestined, such as yourself, dies. The lines take the form of thick, black scars on the back of the deceased fledgling's master." He said, flipping through the pages of an old book. "A Fate line symbolizes shame " He quoted from the tome, having found the correct chapter. ",the master having been unable protect their childe, as is a Maker's duty."

He continued speaking for another couple minutes and despite her best efforts she began to get distracted, mind pondering over what he'd said. For a moment the childe wondered if it was a common occurrence, these deaths of new vampires. Upon thinking about it she couldn't really come up with any instances in which her life had been in danger, not a single event. Then again, Kieran couldn't help but think she'd never left her master's grounds either, which, she supposed , was most likely a large contributing factor, especially since she'd only had contact with Braeden and Almar in the entire month she'd been turned.

Momentarily her mind wandered back into the study, immediately noticing that the room was no longer filled with Braeden's warm, instructing tones, soon after finding that he was no longer standing in front of her either.

"Have a good daydream?" A knowing voice asked from beside her. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, attempting to come up with an explanation. He shook his head disappointedly, seizing her ear in a vice-like grip. "Ack, ok, ok damnit, I get it!" She let the profanity fly without thought, earning her ear yet more punishment when it was used as leverage to pull her from the cushy, leather chair, getting a smack on the rear as well. Braeden returned to the front of the room, continuing the lesson and doing his best to ignore Kieran's pouting.

Again, sorry, it's so very short,but the next piece is a bit of a plot arc so I was just warming up a bit. Hope you like it any way ^^ .


	5. Unwanted

Ok, here's the beginning of the plot arc. Man this is going to take a LONG time to type. Arg. Alright in this chapter there's not a full spanking but there are a couple smacks. Hope you like, I know it's been a while.

"Are you ready to speak with me civilly?" Braeden asked from his place by the fire. Kieran turned and snapped at her sire. "No!" She spat resentfully from the corner, bottom still smarting from the smack that had sent her there. "Very well, if you will not tell me what has triggered this exceptionally rude behavior, I have no choice but to assume that you are doing it in order to be insubordinate." This didn't seem to affect her at all so he stood, placing his book open on the chair to keep his place. "If this is the case," The elder vampire pinned her with a pointed stare. "you know what to expect." Kieran started to feel a bit nervous at this threat but her anger made her reckless.

Earlier in the day he'd taken her to the Vampire Underground, a city beneath the city in which the night creatures could function unimpeded by humans. According to Braeden, there was one in every major vampire inhabited city and contained everything from the region's Vampire Council chambers to stores where many items such as magical tools, weapons and even armor could be purchased. Kieran had been extremely excited at the prospect and maintained her attitude at a respectable level through it. Braeden had met with a few vampire acquaintances and she had been introduced to their apprentices, one of which was physically 18 so she was able to interact with someone her age at least. It wasn't particularly close, because she'd been turned for over a decade, but the other girl understood her position of being underestimated for her age, and was pleasant company for a while. Everything had been going spectacularly, that is, until she was allowed an hour to roam by herself.

She visited an occult centered bookstore, a shop containing unusual looking electronics, and something called an apothecary, which apparently sold strange ingredients for potions and brews. She was very interested in talking to her master about trying to mix up some concoctions. Then, just as she was about to enter a store that sold genetically altered pets, someone spun her around by the shoulders. The young vampire turned in surprise, ready to fight if need be; she was faced by a kindly looking man, with black hair, cold red eyes, and tanned skin.

"You must be the little one Braeden's taken on, hmmm?" He sighed as if he knew her pet had just died and had to be the one to break the news to her. "Such a fine young girl, I thought you'd be sicklier or at least dull-witted." The hair bristled on the back of her neck, she didn't like him, he had a sinister feel about him. Kieran set her jaw, not replying so as to see where he was going with this. He saw that she wasn't going to rise to his bait, and continued. "Well nevertheless I suppose I should deliver my message." He paused, clearing his throat. "The Vampire Council requests your presence immediately."

At this her interest piqued, leading her to accept his directions to the Council's chambers. Just as she arrived at the entrance her master emerged from the tall, ash doors, snapping them shut quickly, before she could catch a glimpse of anything inside. "I thought they-"He cut her off. "There had been a development, and you are no longer required to attend." She looked confused, so he took the opportunity to shoo her. "Continue shopping, I shall retrieve you in one hour." She was ready to belt out a tirade of questions, but he disappeared inside before she had the chance. Kieran crept up to the door, pressing a curious ear intently onto its large, ancient surface. "As we were saying," She heard from inside. It sounded like an old man speaking. "Braeden, this _**child**_-" This disdainful voice was interrupted by a more familiar one. "Wait a moment." It was Braeden, he sounded distracted. There was a long pause.

She pressed harder, wondering what was going on. Then, suddenly, an invisible force hoisted her into the air by one ankle. "Ahhh, what the hell?" She recognized the magical aura behind the spell as her master's just as it landed three unbelievably hard blows to her seat, choking her, even through the fabric. The girl scurried off as soon as the unseen hand dropped her, giving her bum a good rub to alleviate the burning. Kieran looked behind her, but there was nothing. She glared indignantly at the empty space. That was fine, if he wanted to play it that way, she would too.

She sought out the man who'd delivered the summonings to her, surprisingly having no trouble at all, actually it almost seemed as if he had meant to be found. "Hey, HEY!" She called, flagging him down. "Yes?" The vampire asked, his wrinkled face contorting in a warm, sad smile. "I'm sorry you had to find out that way, the Council simply does not approve of children fledglings." Her brows knitted. What was he talking about? "It has happened," He continued. "for certain. A hundred years ago it was quite popular, we can't have children of our own, you see." The old vampire explained. "But, ever since the slayers took to capturing them to use as bargaining chips we thought it best to have apprentices that were a bit more prepared for the threat." Kieran just nodded to keep him talking. "It's tragic sometimes, but we really can't afford such liabilities." He tried to come off as comforting. "It's a better option to simply put you down quietly, rather than let the hunters catch and torture you for our secrets."

Kieran tried to choke back her horror, stomach twisting in betrayal and fear. "Pu-put down?" He sighed. "Yes, yes, some sires wish to keep their fledgling even if they are children, if they are strong and obedient enough, but I'm afraid Braden is a rather adamant supporter of the law." He cocked his head to the side quizzically. "You must have been a mistake." Her heart felt as if it were being ripped from her chest. The man gave her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder before returning to his business, hiding an absolutely evil grin.

The girl stood there in the middle of a walking through-way, eyes wide, and filmed over with tears that she would not allow to be shed. He was going to get rid of her, put her down like a stray animal that was too troublesome to be bothered with. She wasn't doing a very good job of hiding her feelings so she went with the sure fired tactic, cover it with another one, one just as strong. Rage. Her plan was to storm out of the Underground, runaway, she wasn't thinking, her anger had taken control. She just wanted to get away, far away from him. The place was a network of tunnels so it was rather difficult to find the exit but not long after she began her search _**he**_ appeared, ready to 'take her home'. He had a concerned look on his face. "Did you enjoy your exploring?" The question broke through her haze, making her rethink her standpoint.

Why would he bother training her, or getting riled over her cursing this whole time, if he was merely going to kill her? She managed to calm herself down through justification and explanation enough not to cause a scene while they were going home, but as soon as they arrived the girl was ordered to her room 'to study'.

The longer she stayed in there, the more she began to think about all the reasons he had to want to get rid of her, and the more time she had to doubt her, already unhealthily low, sense of self-worth and come up with even more things that made her unlovable. Then she began to question why he didn't want her to listen to his conversation with the Council, and why he sent her to her room when now was usually the time for him to teach her history. By this time she was seething with betrayal and fury, working herself into a frenzy again. In a show of bad timing Braeden sauntered in, presumably having felt her emotional tempest. "Would you like to take a stroll in the gardens?" He asked, appraising, trying to disarm the situation. "No, I don't want to go anywhere with you!" Her mind was filled with thoughts of him drowning her in the garden pond or bashing her head in with one of the many statues among the shrubs.

Braeden closed his eyes and took a deep relaxing breath. "No matter the sort of mood you are in, you will address me with respect, or you will be in serious trouble, understand?" At that, all the young vampire's anger exploded at once, directed at exactly one individual. It was probable that her screeching had shaken the foundation of the house and rattled window panes.

This was how she'd been taken by the ear and dragged into the sitting room corner, the only thing saving her bottom from being completely roasted by this point, being that her sire had no idea what had caused her erratic behavior.

Well? I think my writing style has gotten better but I leave that for you guys to decide. Don't worry about another sabbatical before I resolve the conflict that's brewing, I promise to post the next piece soon.


	6. Retribution

Ok here's the rest of that plot arc. Poor insecure Kieran.

"Come here." The elder vampire crooked his finger, summoning her from the corner. She glared at him. "I am dangerously close to using my belt, regardless as to why your behavior has been so horrendous. Perhaps if you were to cooperate I might go easier on you for it." He enticed, she scooted slowly over to his position.

"Why should you care anyway?" She barked, staying just out of arms reach. "You're just going to get rid of me, right?" The girl accused, her emotions a mixture of anger, hurt, and confusion. "What." His voice was hard. "Who told you that?" Braeden, incredulous and frustrated, massaged his right temple. It was almost laughable, to think he would just throw away all the hard work he'd put into her, throw away such a promising young vampire._ Almost _laughable, because with one look into his undead daughter's eye he knew she actually believed it.

"Well you wouldn't let me listen to your conversation, p-plus this guy h-he told me-"Kieran was a little reassured by his questioning and stammered in her hurry to get everything out, expel her insecurities. "What 'guy'?" Kieran gave her master and exasperated look, as if it were painfully obvious. "That guy who told me the council wanted to see me." At his still clueless look she started to describe the man with animated, cartoonish gesturing. "You know, tall, tan-ish skin, thin pale lips, wrinkles, cape."

The girl stopped in the middle of her act, posing a hesitant question. "So you're not going to kill me?" The skepticism in that question tried to stay at a safe distance but it could barely contain the hope behind it, ready to surge forward.

"Of course not." Braeden assured her off-handedly. His thoughts were still turned inward, attempting to pinpoint the individual who had misled his fledgling. Suddenly his face distorted in fury, a grave, threatening look. "Benroe." He growled the name low in his throat, guttural and fierce. He would confront that manipulative snake in a bit he told himself, sending Benroe an urgent, angry mental summons. That snake wou;e arrive soon but for the moment he needed to deal with his cynical childe.

Braeden crooked his finger at her again. Kieran backed up, her eyes filled with reluctance. "Wait! The guy, he told me you're not suppose to change kids and that you supported that law an-and that you were gonna kill me because y-" She cut herself off, not wanting to admit how much the thought of being a mistake hurt her. The girl continued to babble about how her behavior wasn't due to any fault of her own.

The elder vampire chuckled at her panicked aversion tactics, eliciting a scowl from the girl. "Did you ever consider _telling me_ about this, or even _think _he may be lying to you?"She frowned at the hardwood floors, not answering. "Exactly, you allowed your emotions to take control." He let this soak in a bit before he continued. He wanted her to follow his clear, logical thinking in hopes she would be able to emulate it later.

"You acted rashly because _you_ _didn't think_." She gulped, knowing that thinking before she acted was a topic he stressed vehemently. He saw the recognition in her downcast eyes. "We've talked about that haven't we?" She blanched, nodding guiltily. He pursed his lips, content in that she had at least been listening to his lectures. Maybe one of these days it would get through, he thought. "Now. Come here." He beckoned.

The girl hung her head and pouted. Braeden didn't relent in the slightest. "Kieran." His voice lowered a bit, sounding quite threatening. Slowly she inched forward until she was close enough to lift and place over his knee.

The punishment was short, to the point, and administered to a fully clothed bottom, but it wasn't long before long the knee of his trousers was soaked in tears of briny sorrow. He felt she'd been through enough today as it was, cutting it shorter than he generally would. Looking down at her he felt something deep inside flinch as her shoulder shook from the force of her own sobbing. Braden comforted her with short, gentle pats on the back, allowing her to lay there until all the fear and anguish had drained away.

Then he helped her to her feet so that she was standing before him. They were eye to eye, Kieran standing so closely that their knees touched. "There must have been other factors to convince you besides that of a stranger's word." The girl pouted, wanting nothing more than to crawl into bed and rub her sore backside.

To her the vulnerability was more terrible than the spanking itself. She wanted to run, far far away, but she knew he wouldn't let her go without an explanation. He looked genuinely concerned and saddened. "Why else wouldn't you want me to listen into your stupid conversation?" A little of her previous ire fired back up, burning a hole of indignation in the pit of her stomach. Braeden sensed it in her tone, acting swiftly to quell it by leveling her with challenging stare. "Well primarily," He started deliberately. "it is extremely rude to listen in on anothers conversation, and" His tone suddenly softened. "I didn't see reason to worry you with the situation." Pausing, he had to decide whether he should tell her now or not. "Since what you believed was even _worse,_ I suppose there's no harm in telling you." Even so, he sighed heavily at the prospect. "The Council briefly contemplated disposing of you but only briefly, and I certainly did not support it, if anything I worked to get you _more_ freedom." He continued, slightly miffed at her lack of faith. "You're allowed anywhere as long as you're accompanying me, but only my property and the Underground alone, understand?" He added the last as a warning. Kieran didn't hear it, she was too shocked by his earlier admission.

They'd _considered_ it? The girl thought to herself in dismay. She felt a bit guilty now for believing the worst of him so easily; she turned her head, looking at the wall. Braeden decided to wrap it up, knowing that Benroe would arrive any moment. "Do not be so quick to believe the word of another vampire either." He took her chin, directing it until she was making eye contact with him. "Many of them would like nothing more than to see you dead." His eyes bored the seriousness of the situation into hers for a moment, and then just as quickly, he let her go and stood up.

"To your room." He dismissed her offhandedly. "I'm expecting rather unpleasant company and I'd rather you not-"Before he could finish Almar opened the door, leading in the snaky man that had attempted to mislead her. "Mr. Benroe here to see you Sir." The old man huffed, rather out of breath like he'd been jogging to keep up with the pushy vampire. There was apology in his voice and it was obvious that Benroe had barged his way in.

The deceptive vampire sneered evilly, showing his curved, bladelike fangs, eyes glittering with malice. Braeden jerked his head toward the stairs, a silent command as he stared down his nemesis. Kieran hadn't noticed, having clenched her fists and locked a murderous, piercing glare at the lying conman. "To. Your. Room." Braeden verbalized sternly, stepping up next to her. The intruder cocked his head arrogantly in victory, igniting the little ones fury. She surged forward with an inhuman speed, ready to pounce, to rip his eyes out.

Suddenly the girl was snatched from behind by the collar, and brought back before she could complete the attack; the spectator cackled. "Feisty," He appraised her disheveled, watery-eyed state and his grin nearly split his face from ear to ear. "even so soon after punishment? Perhaps you _should_ have let them dispose of her." That comment slapped the baby vampire in the face. She immediately struck out, arms and legs flailing as she struggled in her master's hold. Braeden jerked her back into himself, landing a teeth rattling smack to the portion of her rear where it meets the leg, eliciting a compunctious yelp.

Allowing for some measure of recoil, he waited. When she recovered he set her on the base of the stairs, giving her a look that dared her to defy him again.

The girl looked over her shoulder, scowling at his unrelenting expression, but quickly hurried up the steps, her bottom still radiating heat. She snarled over her shoulder, hating that she was retreating like a dog with its tail between its legs. Benroe was sporting a rather self-satisfied smirk at being able to throw a wrench in things so easily.

"Quite unruly that one." The vindictive vampires lip curled before he continued. "Some say unworthy of our blood." He was finding it much harder to get a rise out of the hot-headed girl's master. "But I say her filth blood was unfit for even the lowliest, blood-starved cretin. However have you managed to achieve such a level of shameful mediocrity?" He drawled sarcastically.

Braeden lifted a hand and the opposing man's body was propelled into the opposite wall. With the flick of a wrist one of the knives he had on a mounted high on the wall flew from its sheath into his hand as he approached Benroe's pinned form. He drew the silver blade up the leg of the other vampire's expensive trousers, spitting them from knee to groin. Braeden held it there as he spoke. "Stay away from her." The man grunted as the silver began to singe his skin. "I don't know what you're-"His voice caught in his throat as the edge of the dagger dug into his inner thigh. "Do you think I'm an idiot?" Braeden's voice was cold, and sharp. "You want her dead, that much is clear to me. The reason, however, remains a mystery." At this the knife was taken away from Benroe's crotch, but before he could sigh in relief it was held to his throat, forcing him to answer. "People like her are scum. They shouldn't be allowed to live as humans, much less poison the powerful vampire bloodline!" He belted out pompously.

The dagger was removed from, the arm holding it hanging limply by the wayside, but Benroe remained pressed into the wall.

"That is _NOT_ your decision to make, it's Fate." Braeden said, still shocked by the other man's raw hatred at such an innocent little girl. The despicable swindler laughed a laugh that sounded a bit like a hacking cough. "Don't feed me that garbage. The Council has pressed you to discover your fledgling for years. 'Fate'" He spat the word mockingly. "has never spoken to you, the Gods have deemed you weak, unworthy to continue the next generation." He sneered scathingly. "The Council will exile you when they discover your façade, leave you to rot with the humans." The charlatan began to cackle.

"What are you talking about?" Braeden asked, confused. "That wretch upstairs could never be a vampire, and when she's dead and you bare no Fate scar you will be banished, and I will enjoy every moment of it." He hissed spitefully. Speaking so nonchalantly about killing his fledgling elicited an anger Braeden hadn't thought himself to be capable of. He stuck out with the knife, carving a deep laceration in Benroe's shoulder. Immediately afterward the magic hold he had over the other vampire was released, and as he drew back his influence the malevolent creature fell to the ground. "My childe is just as fated as your own was, if you can remember." Braeden pointed his dagger at the other man's exposed back. As the torn shirt fell off his bleeding shoulder a blackened, calloused whip-like lash mark became apparent in the middle of his back, the only thing left from his long dead protégée. It was unmistakable; every vampire was more than aware of its significance, a Fate line, the ultimate shame.

Benroe stayed on the floor for a moment, breathing ragged. "Leave." Braeden gestured toward the door. "Be glad I hold some sympathy for you, and that I fear the consequences of killing my own kind more than any threat you may pose." Braeden's eyes seemed to darken hastily as if a storm threatened. "Be forewarned, however, the same will not hold true a second time." He growled as the coward fled from his house.


	7. Traveling

Every once and a while I like to throw in a little blurb that it not necessarily important to the story per se but helps to construct a better mental image and to develop the characters. Basically cute little one-shots that just kind of make you smile or think about something.

"I'm thirsty." Kieran complained, voice only sounding _moderately_ whiny. Braeden smirked but hid it behind the large book he was holding up to his face. It had taken him nearly three months to get her to admit when she needed blood. It really was music to his ears, not having to threaten her every time. However, she still had a tendency to turn it down when he offered and then need it, usually at the most inconvenient of moments.

Currently they were both confined to a carriage, with no proper tools or an IV. "We shall arrive in an hour or two." She frowned; the idea of drinking blood still didn't particularly thrill her but she had begun to look at it kind of like medicine, unpleasant but necessary. Naturally she had turned the blood down before they'd left and was now, 3 or so hours later, starving, her throat burning from the thirst.

Today they'd gone on something of an outing. Really he'd only taken her along so he could meet some old friends of his but she didn't mind because it turned out they were really cool. They went out and sparred a little, they taught her some awesome maneuvers she could do with her vampire strength. At the time she'd had the most fun since she was turned but now, weak from lack of blood and over-exerting herself all day she wished she hadn't been so stubborn and had fed before they left. She sighed, pressing her face against the cool glass and trying with great effort not to think about how very far away the passing countryside was from her new home.

Braeden didn't say a word, knowing his fledgling was suffering but also knowing she'd brought it on herself. He was content to continue his reading and allowing her to mourn over her own bad decisions but her periodic sighs became increasingly greater in number and volume. After a particularly grating one he put down his book, with a short, perhaps tempered movement, preparing to give her an earful about accepting consequences.

As he looked up he was silenced by her absolutely pitiful appearance; skin paler than usual, eyes somewhat sunken and bleary. "Come here, childe." Kieran looked over anxiously, worrying that he might punish her for allowing herself to become so depleted. She noticed him pulling a dagger out of an inner jacket pocket and shook her head vigorously. "Ugh uh, only babies drink like that."

It was all he could do not to laugh; she was the youngest fledgling in nearly a century! He shrugged, seeming nonchalant. "Very well, continue to starve yourself, but I will not hear anymore whining." He made to pick up his book once more, she stopped him. "Ok, fine." She stood up uneasily, movements sluggish.

At that very moment the carriage rolled over a pothole, propelling the young vampire into her master. He gripped the girl's biceps tightly to prevent her from falling, sitting her onto his lap and securing her to his chest. Braeden's features contorted in disconcertion, seeing she had been much more dehydrated than he'd believed.

The elder vampire cleanly severed a vein on his wrist, holding it to her mouth so she could ingest the crimson liquid. Kieran didn't resist the juvenile position, not possessing enough strength to do so even if she so desired. She accepted the blood, feeding docilely at first. Slowly, as she become more lucid, she also became more aware of her embarrassing predicament, made even worse by the fact that she was being cradled like an infant. She blushed and fidgeted, feeling much too old to be cuddled like a toddler with a booboo.

Braeden used his influence over their mental bond to clam her. To his misfortune, however, he had underestimated her level of fatigue, because soon her head had fallen back onto his chest, eyes shut. The corner of his mouth twitched a bit as he sat back in the street, settling in for the ride home, his childe's head tucked beneath his chin.

It's short but after editing all those posted chapters last night I couldn't get your hopes up thinking there was new material and then let you down.


	8. Separation Anxiety

Woohoo, I'm turning out these chapters more frequently now but I'm starting to catch up to where I've written to so it'll probably slow down again after a while.

"Miss Kieran. Miss Kieran!" Something shook her shoulder. The girl groaned and rolled over, still wanting to sleep. After a few more attempts the annoyance went away and she buried her face into her pillow, relieved. She half-heard a resigned sigh and felt her bed beginning to tilt.

Unfortunately the fledgling reacted too slowly and before she knew it, she had been dumped out into the floor. Almar stood over her, looking quite bemused. Kieran growled, springing up from her sprawled position. "Hey, what was that for?" She demanded, chin jutting out angrily, pride smarting.

"Master Braeden has informed me that he will be away on business for the next few days." Kieran's anger fell flat, her insides beginning to feel somewhat empty as she watched his creased, thin lips form those words. She didn't know if she liked the idea or not. Sure, he wouldn't be there to boss her around for a few days, but on the other hand she'd never been away from him that long, not since she'd been blooded.

Filled with mixed feelings she tuned back in to what Almar was saying. "He also instructed me not to allow you to laze about and neglect your studies while he is away." She puffed up, indignant, protest forming on her lips.

The old butler held up a hand to stop her rant before it began. "His words, not mine, young master." She deflated but still looked off-put at the comment.

"He didn't even tell me about it." Her voice sounded more hurt than she had intended. She settled into a pout before another thought interrupted.

"D'ya think it's important?" She sidled up next to him, a scheming expression overcoming her pale features. "Official Vampire Council stuff, perhaps?" She asked, not so stealthily pumping him for information. Kieran sounded excited now. Daring scenarios played through her head like a movie reel, each one twice as unlikely as the last.

Almar was careful to keep his face expressionless, though her youthful exuberance amused him greatly. "I'm sure I don't know, _but_," He emphasized before she could begin concocting more theories or half-baked ideas. "He did wish you to continue on normally and to know he will return promptly."

With that the old butler shoved some clothes into her arms before going to wait outside so she could get dressed. Once she had, he shooed her off to the library while he prepared breakfast.

"Pushy old coot." She grumbled as he pushed her just inside the entryway. As if he'd heard her insolent comment, he snapped the doors shut on her backside, propelling her further into the room. She glared at the offending wooden rectangles and the human just beyond for a moment before giving in and moving toward the table in the center piled high with her current readings.

* * *

"How are your studies coming along?" The aging servant asked curiously as he brought in a breakfast tray. Kieran sat up in the chair, perking up at the sight of toast and eggs.

She downed it all, leaving only the glass of blood undisturbed. The butler straightened up the study a bit, dusting a few shelves as she ate. Coming back to pick up her tray, he spotted the glass disapprovingly.

He cleared his throat to get the girl's attention, eyebrow raised. Kieran looked up, sighing when she saw his pointedly stern gaze. "I'm not thirsty." She insisted stubbornly.

The old man chuckled softly in a kind of rough way that suggested his laughing muscle was severely atrophied. "Just because Master Braeden isn't here doesn't mean I'm going to let you starve yourself."

Kieran put her book down on her leg, a bit more forceful than was necessary. "I'm not starving myself, I'm just not thirsty right now!" She couldn't let it go so easily, a part of herself just wouldn't allow it. That same insolent part of herself whispered that she was being treated as a toddler, not even to be trusted to feed herself.

Almar understood; he didn't smack her upside the head or send her away to her room the way the people at the orphanage had or even scold her in a warning tone the way Braeden did. He simply crossed him arms, starring her down until she conceded. The young vampire scoffed, rolling her eyes as she snatched up the glass and gulped down its sticky metallic contents.

"Happy now?" She asked sarcastically, unaware that she now sported a crimson mustache. The wrinkled corners up his mouth upturned as he picked up the empty platter. "Very." He insisted, purposefully unperturbed by her disrespect. He swiped the used breakfast napkin across her upper lip, dispatching with the mustache before he made his way out the door.

A little bit of Almar as we slowly get into another plot arc. We don't talk about him much but I picture him a bit like Alfred from Batman.


End file.
